Microsoft to acquire Fast Search for $1.2 Billion

Microsoft is expanding their presence in enterprise search with their acquisition of a Norwegian search firm. Fast Search And Transfer will be handed over to Microsoft for around $1.2 billion, adding the company to the small but growing list of MS services for enterprise-class searching. Other products include Search Server 2008 and Search Server Express, the latter of which is actually a more or less free product. The deal itself is not yet finalized.

This is another arena in which MS faces stiff competition from Google. Google has already made a name for themselves in letting their technology slip out the door to other businesses in the form of search servers, for various applications. You can read the full press release at Microsoft's site.